Intro To Mountaineering Clinic

The Introduction to Mountaineering clinic is designed for novice mountaineers looking to climb general or technical mountaineering objectives in glaciated terrain as an independent party. Skyward Mountaineering will help you develop a strong grasp on efficient and modern mountaineering systems with a focus on safety, a fast and light ethos and self-sufficiency in the mountains. This introduction to mountaineering course is offered on Mt. Baker in the Pacific Northwest, where we can access significant glaciated terrain to cover for prime instructional value. Throughout this mountaineering clinic we will cover the following skills:

Equipment selection and packing an overnight climbing kit

Winter campsite selection and maintenance

Crampon and ice axe technique

Rock climbing movement

Glacier travel

Snow anchors

Rock anchors

Crevasse rescue

Belayed climbing and rappelling

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Introductory mountaineering course

No previous climbing or mountaineering experience required

5 days with overnight camping in the mountains
See open enrollment dates below or choose custom dates

Mount Baker, Washington
10,781 ft / 3,286 m

Learn Essential Mountaineering And Glacier Travel Techniques

Your guide will discuss course logistics, your goals, learning outcomes and conditions updates in the days prior to the course. Our itineraries are flexible based on current conditions and individual goals, below is an example itinerary of what you may expect:
08:00 Meet at the trailhead at the base of Mt. Erie in Anacortes, WA. Introductions and discuss itinerary, goals, equipment selection and gear check for the overnight mountaineering course.
10:00 Drive up the road to the summit of Mt. Erie. A short hike to the base of the cliff where we’ll set up anchors for top rope rock climbing.
10:30 Discuss rock climbing techniques and considerations, with specific focus on it’s relevance to technical mountaineering. Cover skills like fundamental knots, climbing movement, ascending a fixed line, and belaying techniques.
15:30 Wrap up the climbing and hike back to the cars.
16:00 Discuss plan for tomorrow and transport to Bellingham for the evening. We often meet up as a team for dinner at a local restaurant.
07:00 Carpool/caravan from Bellingham to the Wake N’ Bakery in the town of Glacier. Quick breakfast and continue driving up the road to the Heliotrope Ridge trailhead.
08:30 Packs on and we’ll start hiking through the forest to the beautiful camping below the Coleman Glacier at the Hogsback Camp.
12:00 Discuss tentsite selection and considerations for LNT principles and anchoring tents in an alpine environment. Set up camp and get settled in.
14:00 A short walk around camp and discuss glaciology, mountain terrain and weather.
16:00 Prep for dinner and the following day.
Wake up to sunshine on your tent and enjoy a coffee and breakfast at the toe of the Coleman Glacier below Kulshan. We’ll spend the day covering snow climbing techniques and glacier travel. In the afternoon, we go for a walk on the glacier and introduce snow anchors.
Crevasse rescue instruction and practice on the lower Coleman Glacier. During dinner, we’ll discuss plans for summit day and go to sleep early.
Summit day! We’ll wake up in the dark of night and start out the climb by headlamp, navigating around crevasses and sections of steep snow. We’ll watch the sunrise as we get climb the Pumice Ridge on the way to the summit of Kulshan, putting our new techniques to the test.
After celebratory photos and a snack we’ll descend the same Coleman-Deming route back to camp. We’ll pack up and hike out, driving back to Bellingham.